1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to remote inspection of an operating state of a refrigerator and control of the refrigerator to be inspected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional refrigerators have been provided with temperature sensors for detecting temperatures in storage compartments and an outside air temperature respectively, a drive circuit for a damper controlling supply of cold air into a temperature-changeable compartment, a drive circuit for an interior cooling fan, etc. A refrigerating operation cannot be carried out according to a set temperature when the above-mentioned temperature sensors and drive circuits have failed. In view of this problem, the conventional refrigerators include a self-diagnosis function provided in a control circuit for diagnosing the foregoing temperature sensors and drive circuits. An indication of occurrence of an abnormal condition is displayed on a display panel provided on a refrigerator door when a result of the self-diagnosis is out of a normal range determined for each diagnostic item. When viewing the display panel, the user finds the occurrence of the abnormal condition, inquiring of a maker or a distributor or requesting repair.
However, the conventional refrigerator has the following inconveniences. The refrigerator is kept under operation day and night to maintain food stored therein at a set temperature in houses and offices. The refrigerators differ from many of the other electric appliances in this respect. Upon occurrence of an abnormal condition, the refrigerator cannot normally be operated until a serviceman inspects and repairs the refrigerator. As a result, the temperature of the food stored in the refrigerator rises during the inspection and repair such that the freshness of the food is reduced or the food becomes rotten.
Furthermore, when an improper use of the refrigerator results in an abnormal condition, for example, even when the temperature in the refrigerator rises due to an incomplete closure of the refrigerator door, the user sometimes erroneously recognizes the abnormal condition as a failure, requesting useless repair.
When a failure has actually occurred, the serviceman previously telephones the user to get information about the abnormal condition or the contents displayed on the display panel. However, the information is sometimes insufficient for the user to clearly understand the failure in detail. Accordingly, the serviceman does not inspect the cause for the failure until he or she visits the house or office. The repair requires a long period of time in this case.
Additionally, no suitable parts or components can be prepared in a first visit since the serviceman has a difficulty in specifying the location of failure on the basis of explanation by the user. As a result, the serviceman needs to visit the house or office several times or arrangements of new parts or components are delayed. Consequently, the repair further necessitates a lot of time. Since much of food cannot be stored without use of a refrigerator, the repair taking a long period of time forces the user into inconvenience.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device, method and system for remote inspection of a refrigerator which can cope with the occurrence of an abnormal condition of the refrigerator quickly and suitably, and a refrigerator which can reduce an adverse effect of the abnormal condition on food stored therein, a method of controlling the refrigerator, a recording medium on which an operation program of the refrigerator is recorded, and the operation program of the refrigerator.
The present invention provides a method of remote inspection for a refrigerator, comprising receiving information about an operating state of the refrigerator transmitted from the refrigerator via a communication network continuously or at predetermined intervals, and inspecting the refrigerator on the basis of the received information, transmitting an inspection program via the communication network to the refrigerator and executing the inspection program when an indication of an abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator.
Refrigerators are kept under operation day and night to maintain food stored therein at a set temperature in houses and offices. The refrigerators differ from many of the other electric appliances in this respect. Accordingly, when an abnormal condition, for example, a condition where an interior temperature is high is prolonged, the freshness of the food stored in the refrigerator is reduced. Furthermore, cooking undergoes great inconvenience when food cannot be kept cool.
According to the above-described method, the refrigerator installed in a house or office transmits the information about the operating condition thereof continuously or at predetermined intervals. The operating state of the refrigerator is inspected on the basis of the information transmitted by the refrigerator. Consequently, the occurrence of an abnormal condition and an indication of abnormal condition can quickly be found without intervention of the user and accordingly, a quick and suitable measure can be taken against the abnormal condition. Accordingly, disadvantage and inconvenience the user suffers from the abnormal condition of the refrigerator can be minimized.
Furthermore, the serviceman can presume or specify a cause for the abnormal condition on the basis of the information about the operating condition of the refrigerator. Accordingly, since the serviceman can arrange for parts or components to be replaced by prior to visit to the user""s home for repair, necessary parts or components can be brought to the user""s home at a first visit and accordingly, a repairing time can be reduced. Additionally, information about an abnormal condition or failure occurred in the market can intensively be managed. As a result, an accuracy in the remote inspection of the refrigerator can further be improved by utilizing the intensive information.
A terminal unit may be provided between the refrigerator and the communication network so that the terminal unit obtains the information about the operating state from the refrigerator and transmits the obtained information. In this case, since the terminal unit is a main device for communication, the refrigerator is only provided with communication means with a relatively simple arrangement. Consequently, an increase in the cost can be rendered smaller.
When an indication of abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator, an inspection program may be transmitted via the communication network to the refrigerator so that the refrigerator executes the inspection program. Accordingly, since the inspection program for various indications of abnormal conditions to be forecast need not be stored in control means of the refrigerator, an optimum inspection according to the indication of abnormal condition can automatically be carried out remotely.
When an indication of abnormal condition is detected regarding the operating state of the refrigerator, a compensating operation program may be transmitted via the communication network to the refrigerator, and the refrigerator may execute the compensating operation program. According to the method, the refrigerator executes an emergency compensating operation (a forced refrigerating operation, for example) according to the compensating operation program to recover the refrigerator from the indication of abnormal condition (an increase in the interior temperature, for example). Accordingly, the refrigerator can be maintained in the normal or quasi-normal condition until a concrete measure is taken. Consequently, damage to the food stored in the refrigerator can be prevented from being increased. The compensating program can cope with version-up or renewal of a control program at the time of shipment, changes in parameters and an operating mode, and the refrigerator can automatically be recovered from the state where the indication of abnormal condition has occurred.
By referring to a data base regarding the operating state of each type of the refrigerator to be inspected, it can be determined whether an abnormal condition appeared in the operating state of the refrigerator results from a failure of the refrigerator or an improper use of the refrigerator by a user. Consequently, the two causes for the abnormal condition of the refrigerator can reliably be coped with although the causes differ from each other in nature.
When it is determined that the abnormal condition results from the improper use of the refrigerator by the user, information indicative of the improper use of the refrigerator may be transmitted via the communication network to the refrigerator. Since the user finds that the abnormal condition results from the improper use of the refrigerator by the user, the improper use can quickly be interrupted such that the abnormal condition is resolved. Additionally, an unnecessary request of repair can be prevented.
When it is determined that the abnormal condition results from a failure of the refrigerator, a location of the failure may be specified by referring to a data base. Consequently, the serviceman can previously arrange parts or components with respect to the location of the failure. Further, since the location of the failure is previously specified, the serviceman can carry all the parts or components necessary for repair with him when visiting the user""s home, for example. Consequently, the serviceman can immediately start the repair upon arrival at the user""s home and the refrigerator can quickly be repaired.
An emergency operation program may be transmitted via the communication network to the refrigerator when it is determined that the abnormal condition results from the failure of the refrigerator. The refrigerator is operated according to the emergency operation program until the repair is completed. Accordingly, the refrigerator can be maintained in the normal or quasi-normal condition. Consequently, damage to the food stored in the refrigerator and inconvenience against the user can be rendered minimum.
In this case, when information indicative of occurrence of failure is transmitted to the refrigerator, the user can reliably find that the refrigerator is in the abnormal condition, based on the information. Consequently, the user can take an emergency measure independently.
When information indicative of an emergency measure is transmitted via the communication means to the refrigerator, the user follows the emergency measure such that damage to the stored food can be rendered minimum.